Miss Olivia Hawkins
by nothinparticular
Summary: A lonely young woman suddenly finds herself part of the Harry Potter universe. How will being a witch change her life and those of the people around her? Will she manage to do what no one else could, to pull Bellatrix Lestrange back from the darkness? And will she even want to? Bellatrix/femaleOC, starts during Halfblood Prince. Will have some M chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Olivia was in the process of rereading the Harry Potter books for the umpteenth time. It was a dreary and cold winter day and seeing that she was off for the weekend, she couldn't imagine spending it differently. She was cuddled up in her favorite armchair - a warm blanket covering her legs - with a cup of green tea in her right and her well-loved copy of 'Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince' in her left hand.

Olivia sighed and rubbed her eyes. She shouldn't have gotten up so early. Alas, there was no getting away from Odin once he was awake and hungry... He'd relentlessly paw at her face until she would finally get up. Odin was her 4-year-old Maine Coon tomcat; he had the most intriguing yellow eyes and beautiful red striped fur - but, he also had his own mind... And it usually told him to demand breakfast at 6 in the morning. He didn't make a distinction between weekdays and the weekend. Now it was merely 3 p.m. and Liv felt ready to crawl back into bed.

Well, not before she'd finished the chapter though. Maybe afterwards, she'd take a quick nap.

She tried to concentrate on the book for another five minutes before she drifted off. _'l wish I was a witch,'_ she thought barely conscious, just before her eyes fell shut.

* * *

"Ms. Hawkins? – Ms. ... Blimey! You've fallen asleep! – Ms. Hawkins-"

Olivia grunted something incoherent.

"Ms. Hawkins! There is a guest!"

 _'A guest?'_ Was she really this overworked that she could fall asleep at home one minute and be back at work the next? "S-sir?" Olivia tiredly opened her clear blue eyes and suppressed a yawn. However, all tiredness was instantly gone once she recognized where she was or rather where she wasn't. This was not the bar she worked at to pay the bills until she got her teaching diploma. Nor was that curiously dressed man with the annoying voice her boss.

"I uh-"

"Hurry up!" the man in the grey robes hissed at her. Then he pushed a tray with drinks into her arms and shoved her out from behind the counter.

 _Am I still asleep? Is this some sort of dream?_ – Hell, if it was, that Sandman guy should really get a pay raise... Because this felt alarmingly real.

Without a better idea of what to do, Olivia walked over to the table the bar's owner had pointed her to. Two men in similar robes were openly leering at her once she got closer and set their drinks down.

"Ah, Liv," one of the men drawled out, his eyes wandering from her eyes to her chest. He had a wolfish grin on bis face. "You're the only reason I'm still coming here instead of going to the 'Three Broomsticks' – you are prettier to look at than dear old Rosmerta." He laughed, his companion joining in.

 _The Three Broomsticks? Madame Rosmerta? – But that would mean.- No, that is stupid of me to even think._ Harry Potter wasn't real. Hogwarts wasn't. And Hogsmeade wasn't either. _Or was it?_

Suddenly, Olivia felt sick to her stomach. Her breath came in violent gasps and her forehead was starting to sweat. The room was spinning around her and a killer headache was making its presence known. Her vision became blurry and then – black.

* * *

 _Where am I?_ Olivia groaned as she regained consciousness, pushing a strand of dark red hair out of her face and blinking to adjust to the bright light all around her.

"Ah, you're awake."

"Finally," a second voice added, sounding almost identical to the first. "Mother would kill us if we let anything happen to her-"

"- favorite niece," the first voice finished the sentence.

Rubbing her eyes, Olivia could finally see. Or rather, she would be able to see if she had her glasses. _Now, where are they?_

"Here you go," number two pushed her glasses into her hand, a dark boldly rimmed pair that looked like a relict of the 60's.

Perching her glasses on her nose, Olivia gasped in shock at seeing Fred Weasley – _Or was it George?_ – standing right in front of her.

"Uh, come on. Some day you have to get it right," he grinned at her, taking a playful bow. "I am Fred, dear cousin."

"And I am George," the second Weasley twin added, walking up to the bed as well. "Are you feeling better, Liv?"

"I hope it wasn't the screeching peppermint I put in your tea yesterday…"

"No, uh, I feel… fine… really," Olivia answered without much conviction, trying her best not to fall unconscious once more as she found herself eye to eye with literature's most famous twins, Fred and George Weasley. Not to forget the fact that she'd mourned one of them when she read the last book of the series years ago. But here they were, standing right in front of her, claiming to be her cousins.

"We fed Odin, by the way," George said, motioning to somewhere behind his back.

"He was meowing and cheeping like crazy."

"Yeah, we thought it must be his dinner time."

"Odin is here?" Olivia asked, tears now finally appearing in her deep blue eyes. In all the craziness that had been happening, she hadn't even thought about the chance of him not being here. Now, she was just unimaginably relieved to know he was with her.

"Of course,-"

"- where else would that arrogant furry monster of yours be?"

"Well, we have to get back to the shop,-"

"- you know, us being the owners and all."

"You haven't forgotten about dinner this Sunday though, right? Harry and Hermione are already looking forward to meet you."

Harry and Hermione. "Uh, where…"

"At the Burrow of course."

"8 o'clock."

"I'll be there..." she smiled, knowing her smile probably looked more like a grimace right now. _The Burrow. Of course… How did this happen? When was she going to wake up?_

* * *

The rest of the day, Olivia spent roaming the streets and stores of Hogsmeade. She'd decided that, if this was some crazy kind of dream her consciousness was stuck, she'd make the best of it. Exploring Hogsmeade was the first thing to come to her mind.

So far, she'd been to Honeydukes and the Post Office, where she'd longingly stared at all the beautiful owls until she'd started to uncontrollably sneeze from the stuffy air. She'd found out, that apparently she lived in rent at the Three Broomsticks and worked at the Hog's Head. And she'd actually squealed with excitement, when she'd found a wonderfully crafted wand in one of her coat pockets. Weirdly enough, it was exactly the wand that the Pottermore site had chosen for her: Larch wood with a dragon heartstring at its core, 12 ½" long, and, which was obvious to Olivia, really really beautiful.

She'd yet to try any spells though. Luckily enough, she was such a big nerd, that she knew several incantations and their corresponding wand movements. Not now though… Later, when she was back in her room at the Three Broomsticks. Her room at the Three Broomsticks. Liv chuckled to herself at the mere thought and almost keeled over with laughter, when a group of elderly witches stared at her as if she'd lost her marbles. _Maybe they are right though…_

Deciding that she'd had enough excitement for the day, she turned around and trekked back to the Three Broomsticks.

* * *

As soon as she entered the homey tavern, laughter was filling her ears and the scent of what she assumed to be butterbeer filled her nose.

 _I wish this was real. Once I go to bed, this'll all be over…_

She sighed.

"Why so glum, sweetheart?" A beautiful middle-aged woman with blonde curls and a friendly smile put an arm around her shoulder.

"Madame Rosmerta?"

"Oh sweety," the woman chuckled, "you hit your head hard when you fell, huh? Haven't called me Madame in two years. Fred told me about your little accident earlier. Well, it might have been George actually. But it doesn't change the facts. Are you feeling alright?" Rosmerta looked at her with genuine concern and Olivia couldn't help but smile.

"I'm good, Ros," she used the name that felt right to her. "I'm good."

"Well, in that case, you'll have to join me for a butterbeer."

"All right – that actually sounds great."

* * *

One butterbeer had turned into two and a firewhiskey. It was late when Olivia fell onto her bed face first, groaning when the room wouldn't stop spinning all around her. She'd been on a sailing ship with her dad when she was five and this felt exactly the same. Minus the fresh breeze from the wind and her daddy's strong arms around her. _I miss him. I miss them both._

She felt the tears prick her eyes but thankfully, she fell asleep before they could actually fall and threaten to drown her.

* * *

The scream that left her lips when she woke up not at home but at her room at the Three Broomsticks, Odin impatiently pawing at her face, was enough to wake her neighbors and make them thump their hands and feet against the walls to get her to shut up.

Feeling the aftereffects of the hangover – her head pounding in protest at her own noise – she moaned and pulled Odin into her arms, carrying him into a very small kitchen.

Her 'home' at the Three Broomsticks was made up of two rooms. A large one that held a squeaking but astoundingly comfortable double bed, a sofa in front of a fireplace, a desk and chair set and a small kitchen; and a small bathroom complete with a beautiful antique looking tub.

"So, I guess the two of us are still here?"

"Meow."

"I know. I'm not sure if this is a dream anymore…"

"Meooow."

"Yeah, yeah, don't knot your tail. Breakfast will be served in '5." She set Odin on the ground and checked the clock on the wall. It was 7:30. So either Odin had graciously granted her some more rest or, which was more likely, hadn't managed to wake her in her hungover state.

Quickly, she changed into a pair of odd looking jeans and a dark blue sweater – the wardrobe was packed with things in her size! – and picked up Odin's bowl, filling it with cat food.

"Here you go," she cooed at her furry friend – or boss? – and briefly ran a hand along his back.

She managed to get ready in twenty minutes and left the still quiet tavern bundled up in her cloak and a woolen beanie.

* * *

Yesterday, she'd decided to go and see Hogwarts if she was still here today. For obvious reasons – seeing Hogwarts would be a dream come true! – and for the chance of talking to someone who might be able to help her. She didn't know what kind of help she sought though. Back in… well, back home… there was nothing that held her, nothing and no one who waited for her. She'd been alone since her mother had died from cancer 5 years ago; her father had died one night on his boat back when she was 7. He'd hit his head and fallen into the ocean, drowned… When his friend had finally managed to pull him out, it had already been too late.

She didn't really have friends either. After losing her mother, who she'd cared for for two long and painful years, she'd been a reclusive. None of her friends had stayed on her side during that horrible time. After, she just hadn't bothered to find new friends. When it counted, they would just bail anyway.

* * *

Hogwarts. Never in her life had Olivia seen something so beautiful. The movies and the books didn't do its raw beauty and sheer size justice. Not even close.

She must've stood in front of the iron gates for a short eternity, gaping with her mouth and eyes wide open, when a very tall, gruffy bearded man approached from the other side of the gates.

"Ah, Miss Olivia, haven't seen ya in ages," the man who was undoubtedly Hagrid beamed at her and opened the gate with a complicated looking set of keys.

She strode through the open door and waited until he'd locked the gate once more.

"I was hoping to see Professor Dumbledore," she began, raising a single eyebrow in silent question. "Do you know if he is at the castle?"

"Should be," Hagrid nodded and together they started the long walk across the grounds and towards the castle. "He was talking to Sir Nicholas this morning."

"Nearly-Headless-Nick?"

"Yup. Were discussing something about the Bloody Baron I think." Hagrid shivered. "Creepy, that one..."

...

...

"Well, here we are. Password over the winter break is 'Pygmypuff marshmallows'," Hagrid supplied before he started to head back to his hut.

* * *

"Ah, Miss Hawkins," Albus Dumbledore said as Olivia entered his office, still amazed at the moving staircases and portraits on the walls. "I thought I might see you today."

"Professor?" she asked with a frown. Could he have known about her visit?

"I heard from Rosmerta that you have been behaving weirdly yesterday, when I took a nightcap at the Three Broomsticks."

"Oh."

"More often than not, people who seem out of sorts end up here in my office," Dumbledore chuckled knowingly. "Sherbet lemon?"

Olivia nodded, taking one of the bright yellow bonbons and popping it into her mouth.

Dumbledore seemed rather pleased about the fact that someone had finally accepted his offer.

"So, what brings you here?"

…

…

…

"Curious, very curious indeed," Dumbledore mumbled to himself when Olivia had ended her story. "I have never heard of something like this happening before but I can only tell you what I think and what I know." He paused and continued when Olivia gave him a short nod. "I think that the wish you made in your world took you here and created a new life for you. – As things are, I for one have known you for the past 13 years, since you've been sorted into Hufflepuff as a first year."

 _A Hufflepuff? Huh. I always thought I'd be in Ravenclaw. Or maybe Gryffindor. But Hufflepuff…_ "But how? I don't remember any of this…"

"Just because you do not remember, doesn't mean it isn't real," the headmaster said, thoughtfully combing his fingers through his long beard.

"Can you tell me… about myself?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded.

"I can even show you. Some things at least." He moved his hand and his Pensieve came flying through the room, landing on his desk in front of them. Then he held his wand against his temple and silvery threads flowed from his head into the bowl.

"After you."

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Olivia bent over the Pensieve and let her face break the surface of the swirling liquid. Then, she was falling, but not for long.

 _She watched as a slightly younger Professor Dumbledore was talking to Professor McGonagall in what appeared to be the witch's classroom._

 _"Is it true, Albus? Steven Hawkins, dead?"_

 _Dumbledore solemnly nodded his head. "He drowned in the Black Lake, saving a young and too curious Ravenclaw student from the merpeople."_

 _"Have you told Paula?"_

 _"Yes, I told her as soon as she'd managed to put their little daughter to bed. The girl was screaming for her daddy…"_

 _"He was a great Herbology Professor and an even greater friend."_

 _"I know. We will all grief his death but no one as much as his family. He talked so often about Olivia and Paula.."_

* * *

 _The scene switched and Liv found herself staring at her own 11-year-old self, sitting down in front of the entire school and her red curls covered by the large Sorting Hat. The hat had barely touched her when he exclaimed "Hufflepuff!"_

 _"Congratulations, Pomona," Albus smiled at the Hufflepuff head of house._

 _"Steven would be proud," the little old witch said with a lone tear trailing down her cheek. "Tending to the greenhouses was always fun and special together with him…"_

 _Olivia felt her own eyes tear up and hastily looked for herself in the throng of students. She finally found her, talking to a slightly older girl with blue hair._

"Tonks?"

"She has been your best friend ever since that day. Even though she was already a third year," Dumbledore's voice explained in her thoughts.

* * *

 _There wasn't time to ask more questions though because soon, the scene changed once more. They were still in the Great Hall but the chairs and tables were gone and instead, it was elegantly decorated in the colors of all four Hogwarts houses and people were dancing and having fun. It took some time to find herself._

 _Olivia wasn't amidst the crowd but standing close to the ceiling high windows, staring out into the night. She was alone and everyone else made a wide berth around her._

"This is the graduation ball, isn't it? And I am what, 18?"

 _Dumbledore solemnly nodded, knowing that Olivia was putting two and two together._

"This is the year my mother passed away."

"She died from a muggle illness called cancer, during the summer break of your last school year," Dumbledore quietly stated. "Steven was a Pureblood, your mother a Muggle. Your father was one of Molly Weasley's younger brothers. Molly and Arthur took you in when Paula passed away and you've lived there for a year before you decided to find your own way. – At least, that is what I heard." _Dumbledore paused and together they watched the young and distraught woman who was supposed to be celebrating her graduation._ "You started working at the Hog's Head two years ago. Rosmerta offered you a job at the Three Broomsticks but you were afraid she'd be giving it to you out of pity. You were always rather proud for a Hufflepuff…"

"What did I do before I came to Hogsmeade? Do you know?"

Dumbledore scratched his beard. "I don't know much about these three years of your life," he admitted. "I know you've spent some time with Charlie Weasley in Romania." – "Let's head back to the present."

* * *

Gasping for breath, Olivia pulled her head out of the Pensieve, momentarily surprised that her face wasn't at all wet. She pondered over the memories for a moment and finally asked the question that was burning on her tongue. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Well," Dumbledore began. "You've clearly gotten another chance at a new and different life. I'd say, enjoy it, make friends, find love. Maybe a new, challenging job? You were rather good at Defense Against the Dark Arts. Maybe you could become a Hogwarts Professor – with time?"

"But sir, I don't even know how to do magic."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Miss Hawkins. You did magic to come here, didn't you? In a world that supposedly doesn't even possess magic…" The old wizard smiled patiently. "Try it."

With hesitation and doubt, Olivia pulled her wand. Her fingers tingled pleasantly as soon as they clasped around the wand's soft wooden surface and she couldn't hold back a smile.

 _I wonder…_

"Expecto Patronum," she called out, moving her wand through the air in intricate patterns as she thought about the day her father and mother had taken her to see Cinderella at the cinema and the many nights her father had read the first Harry Potter book to her.

She gasped as silver waves of magic erupted from her wand and took form, finally morphing into a corporeal raccoon.

"Beautifully done, Miss Hawkins," Dumbledore clapped his hands and together they watched the animal float through the air, scratching its ears as it curiously looked at them. "I daresay you are a witch through and through."

* * *

 **AN:** Well, you people know the drill ;-) . This is my first story that has an original character as the main character, so of course I am curious what you think of Miss Hawkins. All other thoughts are welcome too.


	2. Chapter 2

Here goes:

 **Chapter #2**

During the rest of Saturday, Olivia had perused the Hogwarts library - this really was a dream come true - and wandered the empty halls of Hogwarts. She'd made the 'acquaintance' of the Bloody Baron who'd flown right through her as if she didn't exist, talked to several of the portraits, looked over the castle grounds from atop the Astronomy Tower, and watched a Houseelf dust the trophy room.

She'd actually tried to start a conversation with the houseelf, but the little one had pretty much ignored her in favor of golden cups and marble busts.

Now, she was back at the Three Broomsticks, having lunch together with Rosmerta.

"So, you're having dinner at the Burrow tomorrow, huh?"

Olivia eagerly nodded. "Yes, I'm going to meet Harry and Hermione. At least that's what Fred and George said." _And Ron_. But she only added the latter in her mind, knowing that here he was supposed to be her cousin, a boy she'd undoubtedly have known since he was a small child.

"Ah yes, Hermione is a good lass, beautiful, smart,…" Rosmerta said, raising a brow at Olivia, watching closely for her reaction.

Obviously the older woman knew of her penchant for the female gender. Wait. Liv blushed furiously. _They hadn't... I haven't had sex with Madame Rosmerta, have I?_

"You're blushing," Rosmerta sounded victorious. "So you do have a thing for Miss Granger."

"What?"

"Don't deny it, Liv, I get it," Rosmerta grinned at her young friend. "Hermione is both beautiful and intelligent."

"I…"

"And there I held hope you'd eventually fall for me," the witch and barmaid winked at her.

"I…"

"Don't worry, love. I'll be fine. – Do you want me to watch Odin over the weekend or will you take him along?"

"Uhm, I haven't really thought about it, to be honest."

"Well, there's still some time left for you to decide," Rosmerta smiled at the young woman. "Just let me know before you leave. I have to say, I sort of miss the little rascal."

 **XxxxxxxxX**

"Ah, there you are sweetheart!" Molly Weasley exclaimed as soon as she appeared in the doorway of the Burrow, immediately engulfing her in a warm embrace. "Let's have a look at you. – Are you eating properly?"

Olivia quickly nodded at the motherly witch as she was ushered further into the house and towards the kitchen. She'd managed to apparate to the Weasley home on her third try – the first time the spell hadn't worked at all and the second she'd landed somewhere in the woods – and was still too amazed at the simple fact that it really existed to do anything else beside staring at her surroundings.

"Liv!"

She barely had time to put down her trunk before Ginny Weasley practically jumped into her arms, almost bringing both of them to the ground. "It's so good to see you. How are things in Hogsmeade? Are you still working at the Hog's Head? Where's Odin?"

"Ginny, let her arrive, won't you?" Molly good-naturedly admonished her only daughter, chuckling.

"No, it's fine, really." And it was. It was more than just fine. She hadn't felt part of a family for too long and now, being in the home of the Weasleys, treated as one of their own – it felt better than she could possibly begin to describe. She smiled at Ginny, her cousin. Her cousin. The smile on Olivia's face only widened at that thought. "Hogsmeade is the same as always; I had lunch with Rosmerta yesterday – Odin is staying with her. He doesn't like to travel. And yes, I am still working at the Hog's Head. Although," she added as an afterthought that just struck her now. "I haven't been there the last two days. I uh, I passed out during my shift three days ago... I completely forgot to return… I'm probably fired."

"Oh please, Flannigan that old bastard knows well enough that most of the guests only come to ogle at you," Ginny said in earnest. "He'd be an idiot to fire you."

"Ginevra! Watch your words!"

"Sorry, mom. But I am right." The youngest Weasley cheekily grinned at her older cousin. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Harry and Hermione. They should be upstairs with Ron in his room."

"Tell them dinner will be ready in twenty, Gin," Molly called after the two young witches, focusing her attention back on the riddle in this week's issue of Witch Weekly while dinner continued cooking itself. Being skilled at household magic had many perks.

"Hermione, Harry-" Ginny began upon entering her brother's room but was interrupted.

"- meet my cousin Olivia Hawkins," Ron said, quickly jumping off his bed and hugging his cousin.

"Hi," Olivia meekly said, blushing under the intense stares she received from Harry and Hermione. How weird was that? Here she was, a nobody, in the same room as the Golden Trio.

"You are not starstruck, are you Liv?" Ginny teased her cousin, playfully hitting her arm. "Careful, Mione, Liv might very well fall in love with you. – Ow!"

Olivia and Hermione chuckled. Both her and the brunette had slapped Ginny at the same time, earning themselves identical glares from the youngest redhead.

"It is nice to meet you. Hermione. Harry." Olivia managed to say, more confident now that the situation had lightened up. "I have heard a lot about you." 'If they knew…'

"Ron and Ginny have been telling us stories about you as well," Harry spoke up, briefly shaking the redhead's hand. "It is high time we finally get to meet you."

"It is," Hermione agreed, shaking Liv's hand as well. "You work in Hogsmead, don't you? Do you know if 'Tomes & Scrolls' already got the revised edition of 'Old Artifacts – leftovers from the First Wizarding War'?"

Soon, Hermione and Olivia were deeply engrossed in a discussion about books, Muggle and Wizarding alike (weirdly enough, Olivia could remember having read many works of Wizarding literature, both fictional and non-fictional), while the boys and Ginny only groaned, eventually going over to talking about the new Seeker of the Irish Quidditch team.

 **XxxxxxxxX**

That night, Olivia had a big smile on her face as she was about to fall asleep in Ginny's room, Hermione and Ginny already sleeping in the two beds next to her own.

The rest of the evening had been filled with good food, laughter and playful teasing. She'd met Arthur Weasley, joked with Fred and George, and talked with Ron about their plans for the next day. When she'd been invited to spend Christmas with everyone at the Burrow, she'd barely been able to withhold the tears from flowing down her cheeks. Tears of joy. She hadn't been this happy ever since her mother had fallen ill.

She decided then and there, that if this really was to be her new reality, she'd make the best of it. A new start and a new chance at happiness… she wouldn't have dared dream about it.

There was only one thing left standing in the way of her happy future.

Voldemort. She'd managed to find out the year the day before and knew that this was Harry, Hermione and Ron's sixth year at Hogwarts. She'd arrived during the time-line of the Halfblood Prince book. And it was mid-december already.

Before long, she'd be fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts. And she would. Fight, that was. This was her world now, too. And maybe, knowing the things that she did, she could change some things, save some lives even. Well. There was a lot to do and a lot still to learn. She'd start practicing her defensive and offensive magic as soon as she got back to Hogsmeade.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Here's the next chapter. I'm glad at least some people are reading this. Feedback is much appreciated, even if it's just a 'nice story' or 'looking forward to the next chapter'._**

 ** _I created some sort of a family tree for this story. Check it out, if you want to know the characters' ages. The link is in my profile._**

* * *

When Olivia woke up the next day – Hermione and Ginny were nowhere to be seen so they must've already gotten out of bed – she felt… different. However, she couldn't figure out why or what was different.

She allowed herself a couple more minutes in the warm bed and finally disentangled herself from the blankets, yawning as she set her feet on the ground. It didn't take her long to get ready for the day and soon she was climbing down the many stairs of the Burrow.

As she was on her way to the kitchen the delicious smell of Molly's cooking wafted through the air and just like that, it hit her.

There were memories. Memories she hadn't possessed the day before. Memories of herself as a child, having breakfast at the Burrow together with Bill, Charlie and Percy, two-year-old Percy making a mess of himself as Molly was busy nursing the newborn twins.

Her father's burial two years later. Heavily pregnant Molly comforting her distraught sister-in-law, barely able to keep herself from completely falling apart as well. Hiding away with Charlie from the crowd of strangers wanting to give their condolences to her.

Spending the next summer holidays – she'd been attending a Muggle school until she'd turned eleven even though she'd shown the first signs of magic back when she was three – with the Weasleys because her mother was at a mental hospital, trying to come to terms with her husband's early death. Witnessing baby Ginny's birth on one of the last days of that summer had been one of the most magical moments of her entire life.

Grandma Prewett's death back when she was ten. She'd always loved visiting her early widowed grandmother, especially during Christmas time. They'd used to make Christmas cookies together, little edible brooms which were flying away if you didn't eat them quickly.

Charlie coming out to her as gay on his fifteenth birthday and admitting to him that she had a huge crush on her best friend the year after. Together they'd made silly plans about how to woo Nymphadora Tonks but eventually, Liv had given up on her hopeless infatuation with the Metamorphmagus.

Charlie's coming of age birthday party. She'd been 16 back then and ridiculously drunk. She'd gotten her first kiss that night.

Her mother's cancer being discovered not a month later and how Molly had wanted them to move in with them at the Burrow. Paula had outright refused though, not wanting to be a burden on her late husband's family.

The day Tonks graduated and left Hogwarts, Charlie trying to cheer her up with tons of sweets but just reminding her of his own looming departure the coming year.

Her mother moving into a nursing home and Olivia staying and helping to take care of her every day during school breaks.

Charlie leaving for Romania and their tearful goodbye at…

"Olivia!"

"Mom, what's wrong with her?" Ginny frowned as her mother levitated her only female cousin onto the couch.

She'd been sitting at the table and having breakfast together with Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the twins, when a loud thud coming from the stairs had alerted them.

They'd found Olivia a moment later, lying motionless on the bottom of the stairs, her forehead bleeding and her right wrist bend at a strange angle.

"Fred, George," Molly called out to her sons. "Send a Patronus to Healer Thistle at St. Mungos and ask him to head over as soon as he's free."

"On it," the twins said in unison, Fred pulling out his wand to do as his mother asked.

Before he could conjure his Patronus though, a pained groan from the couch drew in everyone's attention.

"I need to see Professor Dumbledore," Olivia tried to sit up but was immediately pushed back into the cushions by her aunt.

"You need to see a healer," Molly said, her voice leaving no room for objection. "This is the second time this has happened this week, you need to get your head checked out!"

"M'fine, really," Liv mumbled, struggling against Molly's firm hold. "But I have to see Dumbledore. Now. Before I forget."

Sighing, Molly turned to her twin sons. "Send a Patronus each to Professor Dumbledore and Healer Thistle then. You, young lady, are not moving," she added with a glance towards her niece. Before Olivia could protest, Molly was speaking once more. "Now, let's fix that pretty face of yours. – Episkey!"

The pounding in her head immediately lessened and Olivia gave her aunt a grateful smile. "Ginny, go and check if we still got any skele-gel for that wrist. It looks broken."

"Feels broken, too," Olivia added with a sheepish smile at her young cousin, cradling her injured wrist in her right hand.

Mere seconds after Ginny had returned with the skele-gel and Molly had applied a generous amount of it on the break, Dumbledore stepped through the fireplace.

The old wizard's eyes immediately found the young Hufflepuff resting on the couch. "You needed to see me?"

 **OHBLOHBLOHBLOHBL**

After five minutes of discussion, Olivia had finally managed to get every member of the Weasley household as well as Harry and Hermione to leave the room.

Of course, Professor Dumbledore could've easily enforced some privacy in less than a minute, but Olivia actually suspected that the headmaster had greatly enjoyed the little display of familial bickering and worry.

Now, both the old wizard and the young witch were sitting next to each other on the well-worn but comfortable couch, each of them holding a cup of tea in their hands.

"I…" Liv began but broke off when a wave of pain shot through her head, making her momentarily dizzy.

Dumbledore watched on with a troubled expression but chose to remain silent.

"I uh, I am remembering things I shouldn't be remembering. And I think I am forgetting others. At least it feels that way? I wanted to talk to you. Before I forget everything..."

"Talk to me about what, Ms. Hawkins?" Dumbledore asked, taking a sip of his tea and running the fingers of his left hand through his long silver beard.

"About the horcruxes."

Dumbledore coughed as he choked on his tea. "So there are more then?"

Olivia nodded and confirmed his biggest fear. "He's made seven of them. The diary, Marvolo Gaunt's ring, the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff, the- …" The red-haired witch stopped mid-sentence, a fearful and shocked expression in her blue eyes. "I… I don't remember. Professor, what's happening to me?"

"I believe your soul is adapting to your new life, Ms. Hawkins," Albus Dumbledore replied after a moment of silent deliberation. "As 'new' memories appear, your old life and memories start to fade away. It would only be natural, I assume. Our minds and hearts already struggle with the memories from one lifetime, how could they ever hope to bear two?"

"But-"

"It is quite alright, Ms. Hawkins," Dumbledore knowingly smiled at the young witch, gently patting her shoulder as he rose to his feet and placed his empty cup on the coffee table. "Your confirmation of my assumptions will already be of great help to our cause. And you must never forget: Changing even a small or minor detail can already bring on huge changes. Changes which may seem good at the time but may turn out worse in the end… Maybe it is better that you are losing your memories." He turned to go, walking towards the fireplace to floo back to his office. "Tell Molly to forget about the Healer. I am sure the headaches and dizziness will pass as soon as your mind has dealt with the last alterations."

"But what will I tell her?"

Dumbledore stepped into the fireplace and grinned at Stephen Hawkins' daughter. "That, my dear, is for you to figure out." Then he threw the floo powder into the flames and stated, "Hogwarts. Headmaster's office."

In the end, Olivia had opted for telling everyone a half-truth. That she'd talked to Professor Dumbledore about the possibility of one day becoming a professor at Hogwarts and that she'd decided to apply for an apprenticeship with Professor Snape, the current teacher of Defense against the Dark Arts.

Molly was too happy about her decision to finally leave that seedy bar behind her to argue with her about seeing the healer. And she also trusted Professor Dumbledore. If he said the headaches and dizziness were no reason to worry, then he was probably right.

* * *

 _ **AN: Bellatrix will have her first appearance in the next chapter (after all, she burned down the Burrow on Christmas day).**_


End file.
